Tragedy's Wake
by SparklyTree3876
Summary: One shot. AU set three years after X1. Charles mourns the death of Granny the orca as he looks at pictures of her and her fellow Southern Residents in a Friday Harbor café. He has an unexpected encounter with Magneto.


Tragedy's Wake  
By SparklyTree3876

Rating: PG

Genre: Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

Pairing: None

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Here is my gift to you in the form of an X-Men movieverse one shot. It is AU set three years after X1 and features Charles mourning the death of Granny the orca in a Friday Harbor cafe as he looks at pictures of her and her fellow Southern Residents and having an unexpected encounter with Magneto. This idea came to me when I watched "X-Men: Days of Future Past." I learned the first three X-Men films had been set in 2013 when Charles told how the Sentinels came to be. It surprised me as I thought the X-Men films were set in the late 1990s or early 2000s. As a result, I decided to set this one shot in real time and have it take place in 2017. The population of orcas that regularly swims through Puget Sound and has been seen as far north as Vancouver Island and as far south as California is called the Southern Resident Community. It is made up of three pods with the letters of J, K, and L. I've always enjoyed Charles and Magneto's friendship. Despite they are on opposite sides of the human-mutant conflict, they are capable of having peaceful discussions about various subjects. I hope you enjoy this one shot. Constructive criticism is welcome.

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Clouds covered half the midevening sky above Friday Harbor in late January. Charlies sat at a table next to the window at Winston Café. The building happened to be medium-sized. It had tables with anywhere from two to six chairs scattered throughout the front of it. Booths could be seen further toward the back. He had pictures of Southern Resident orcas laying on the table in front of him.

Three years had passed since the X-Men foiled Magneto's attempt to turn the world leaders into mutants. Hostility remained between humans and mutants. The X-Men continued to fight threats against mutants. Logan, Marie, Kitty, Bobby, John, and Jubilee were now members of the team and valuable assets to it. The X-Men raided labs to rescue mutants that were experimented on occasionally. They helped them to adapt to life at the Xavier Institute.

Charles picked up a picture of Polaris (J28) and Dipper (J54) swimming alongside each other. The knick in her dorsal was clearly visible. His similar right eyepatch could be seen. Charles put that picture down and grabbed another one of them together, this time spyhopping. He ran his finger over each of their dorsals and backs.

He couldn't help but smile. He thought the mother-son duo looked so beautiful. His smile turned into a frown because they were both dead now. Polaris died in mid-October with Dipper following soon after. She had been sick since late March, possibly due to birth complications. Her illness caused her to become emaciated. It was compounded by having to nurse her son. He snapped out of his thoughts when a waitress walked up to him.

"May I get you anything, sir?" the waitress asked.

"No, ma'am. I'm fine," Charles answered.

The waitress looked at his picture. "Those orcas are so beautiful. They have such close-knit families."

"Yes, they do," Charles agreed. "Have you ever gone whale-watching?"

"Oh, yeah," the waitress said, nodding rapidly. "I've gone whale-watching in California three times. I've seen all kinds of whales and dolphins, including orcas."

"Nice," Charles said warmly.

"It's too bad some populations are not doing well, especially the famous Southern Residents," the waitress whispered sadly.

"I know," Charles commented and sighed heavily. "I hope they will be okay."

"Me too. Let me know if you need anything," the waitress said and walked away.

Charles nodded at her. "Okay."

Charles put the picture down and got another one. This one happened to be of Ruffles (J1) and Granny (J2) surfacing together. The waviness in his dorsal that gave him his name was visible, as was the half-moon knick in her dorsal. He touched each of their dorsals. He laid it down to get another of them. This time, it was of the duo leaping into the air.

He tried to hold back a chuckle, but he couldn't help himself. He remembered the time he saw orcas when he and Magneto took a weeklong camping trip to San Juan Island with three friends in July 1958. He and Magneto went kayaking on the fourth day. They encountered a number of orcas. They took many pictures. In September 2003, Charles was doing a search for orca pictures on the internet when he came across one of a female that looked familiar to him. She had a half-moon knick in her dorsal, and her name happened to be Granny of the Southern Residents when he clicked on it. He looked at his 1958 camping trip pictures and found one with an orca that had a similar feature. He realized it was the same individual. It shocked him.

He went to the Center for Whale Research website and learned the Southern Residents were not doing well due to pollution, food shortage, boat traffic, and habitat degradation. He decided to begin keeping an eye on the population. He found he could adopt orcas through the center. He adopted Granny a month later and told the residents about his first San Juan Island camping trip and the orcas' plight. This inspired many to adopt orcas, especially Jean and Ororo. Their favorite orcas were Slick (J16) and Rhapsody (J32) respectively. Trips to the Pacific Northwest often included taking pictures of Southern Residents.

Charles frowned because Rhapsody, Ruffles, and Granny were also dead. Ruffles died in September 2010. Rhapsody followed suit in December 2014. She was discovered dead in Georgia Strait with a full-term female calf that died sometime before and caused an infection that killed her. It devastated Ororo. Granny's death was announced earlier this month. It saddened Charles greatly. It was at the end of a string of deaths that plagued the Southern Residents throughout 2016 after eight calves were born between December 2014 and December 2015. The population had suffered a brutal setback to its recovery. He decided to take a five-day trip to San Juan Island.

Charles laid the picture down. He gathered it and the others and put them together. He straightened them before laying them aside. He folded his hands and laid them on the table. He twirled his thumbs around while looking down. He didn't even see someone approaching him. A clearing throat caught his attention. He looked up to see Magneto.

"Hello, Charles," Magneto greeted.

"Erik, what are you doing here?" Charles asked in surprise.

"I was walking around when I noticed you sitting here. I thought I'd come see you," Magneto explained. "I hope you don't mind." He chuckled.

"I don't," Charles said, shaking his head. "You can sit down if you want."

"I will," Magneto answered and noticed the pictures. "Looking at pictures of Southern Resident orcas, aren't you?"

"Yes. You probably know that—" Charles started.

"Granny is dead," Magneto finished and went to the chair across from him. He seated himself. "I read about it on a website article." He showed sympathy. "I'm so sorry, Charles. I know how much she meant to you."

"Thank you," Charles whispered gently.

Magneto nodded at his old friend. He managed to escape his plastic prison with Mystique's help in September 2013. Mystique disguised herself as a security officer named Maria Harper, who had actually been his guard. She tied up the real one and hid her to assume her identity. Four officers escorted her into the prison. Once there, she attacked them and took care of any who came to apprehend her. She and Magneto made their getaway and went into hiding. They recruited many mutants into the Brotherhood. Magneto ran into Charles occasionally.

Magneto decided to visit San Juan Island for five days after he learned of Granny's death. Like Charles, he began keeping track of the Southern Residents after identifying Granny from a picture he found online in October 2002 and comparing it with one from his camping trip. He couldn't adopt any orcas due to being a criminal, but that didn't stop him from caring about their plight. Among his favorites were Ruffles, Samish (J14), and DoubleStuf (J34). He and Charles would often talk about them during their encounters. It brought them peace of mind in regards to the population's situation. He would also take trips to the Pacific Northwest and take pictures of the Southern Residents.

Magneto gazed at the pictures. He turned to Charles and gestured toward them. Charles pushed them forward. Magneto got them and picked four of them up. He gazed at a picture of Slick and Scarlet (J50) surfacing together. The former's open saddle patch on the right side showed, as did the latter's scars under her dorsal on her right side.

"Slick and Scarlet are so gorgeous. It's hard to believe Slick is the oldest Southern Resident to have a calf," Magneto said in awe and looked at Charles. "Most fortysomething orcas are entering menopause."

"I know. Scarlet's birth was the start of the baby boom. After two years of no calves surviving, seven more were born. The population seemed to be finally on the mend. J55 came in January 2016, only to disappear soon after. Then the population started dropping again. It's as if forces conspire against these orcas every time they seem to be recovering," Charles muttered solemnly.

"It does feel that way, but the reality is they aren't finding enough chinook salmon to eat," Magneto pointed out. "The Lower Snake River dams are the main reason why."

Charles became thoughtful. "I remember when we saw the Lower Snake River for the first time there in 1952. We took a camping trip there for four days. It was so beautiful. It flowed so freely. We saw the salmon swim upstream to spawn in unbelievable numbers." He smiled as that memory played in his mind.

"Salmon were being fished in huge numbers at that time, but the Southern Residents weren't suffering from starvation like they are now. In fact, they were trying to get away from people bombing them. People saw them as a dangerous threat," Magneto said, hints of anger lining his voice.

"Then Namu was accidentally captured in 1965. Ted Griffin bought him and brought him to the Seattle Aquarium. He helped people to see orcas weren't dangerous, but they were gentle and curious creatures. Afterward, the Pacific Northwest orca captures began. Orcas were displayed in aquariums around the world. People came to love them," Charles explained. "Around that time, the Lower Snake River dams were built. They caused the salmon population there to plummet." He let out a heavy sigh. "Overfishing continued. Increased vessel traffic, pollution, and habitat loss added to the problem. Now, this unique population is facing extinction."

Magneto shook his head in disbelief. "Mankind shows little care for God's creatures. To them, they are nothing but things to conquer and destroy." He mumbled inaudible words.

"Many people are trying to save the Southern Resident orcas, Erik. They contribute by adopting them. I adopted Granny every year after I learned she was the orca in my picture," Charles said and frowned. "I won't be able to adopt her this year."

"I can never adopt an orca due to my criminal past. I won't use another name because people will find out it isn't real eventually," Magneto commented. "That hasn't stopped me from cherishing these orcas." He put the picture behind the others and looked at one of Granny and Ruffles doing bows. Sadness showed in his eyes. "Losing them will change the course of this area's ecosystem drastically."

"I know," Charles answered. "It's a tragedy."

Magneto put the picture behind the others. He gazed at one of Granny swimming and Dipper surfacing alongside her. He couldn't help but smile.

"I can never forget the first time we saw Granny, Charles. She was such a beautiful orca. She was always ahead of the other orcas," Magneto said, gazing at the professor. "She led the pods for many years. She acted as babysitter to dozens of calves."

"She also took other orcas under her flipper. Ruffles was believed to be her son because they were always seen together. DNA analysis confirmed that wasn't the case. Then many researchers speculated she adopted him after his real mother died," Charles responded, chuckling. "Onyx became attached to her and other older females after his mother, Olympia, died in 2005. He moved between K-Pod and L-Pod before permanently settling with J-Pod."

"Onyx's designated number is L87. His mother's number was L32. He is a bit of a mystery. When a male orca's mother dies, he usually sticks with females within his birth pod. Why he decided to attach to females outside his pod isn't known, but it is possible they had relationships with Olympia," Magneto suggested.

"It is possible," Charles agreed. "Anyway, Granny knew the best places to find fish. She decided where everyone would go. She disciplined those who stepped—I should say swam out of line."

"I wouldn't be surprised if her mother taught her to be a strong leader," Magneto pointed out seriously.

"Me neither," Charles said and cleared his throat. "She was estimated to be over one hundred years old. I don't know if that was ever true. Unlike humans, orcas don't show signs of aging. You can't tell the difference between a twenty-year-old orca and an eighty-year-old one."

"If she was over one hundred, then she saw her whole world change. Cities replaced much of the forest in the Pacific Northwest. Humans dumped pollutants into its waters. They overfished the chinook salmon she and her fellow orcas relied on. They dammed up the salmon's spawning rivers. They hit the orcas with speeding boats without thinking twice. They harassed them on whale-watching boats. They are still doing three of the things I mentioned," Magneto muttered fiercely. "Granny just couldn't handle what humans were doing to her home anymore and died."

"The question is which female orca will take her place as matriarch," Charles whispered thoughtfully.

"Had Samish not died, she would've likely taken over as matriarch," Magneto responded. "She was the second oldest orca in J-Pod. My guess is Slick will take over because she was the second oldest orca at the time of Granny's death."

"Most likely," Charles commented, nodding slowly.

Magneto returned his attention to the picture. He put it behind the others and looked at one of Polaris and Dipper playing with a piece of salmon. He pressed his lips together.

"It's hard being in this area knowing I will never see Granny again," Charles murmured, his voice cracking some. "She was precious to me."

"She was precious to me too, old friend," Magneto said very sympathetically. He laid the pictures on top of the others. He slid them over to him. "We can't bring her back, but we can continue to remember her."

Charles sniffled. "I can safely say Granny's legacy will remembered for decades to come. Her wisdom will be passed on to future generations of orcas."

"The future looks very uncertain for the Southern Residents," Magneto commented honestly. "If something doesn't change, they will become extinct." A frown crossed his face.

"Researchers are working very hard to prevent that. They are putting pressure on the US Marine Corps of Engineers to breach the Lower Snake River dams. They know it will give the orcas much more fish to eat. They are also looking into releasing hundreds of thousands of baby salmon into Puget Sound while they wait for the announcement that the dams will be breached. They hope the salmon will grow to adults and spawn in the rivers," Charles explained in a calm voice.

Magneto cleared his throat. "I'm not a big fan of humanity at all, but I do admire those who are trying to save this unique population."

"It goes to show that not all humans are bad. Many are trying to do the right thing," Charles said with gentleness. "Let's not forget that mutant researchers like Danielle Cooper and Ryan Russell are contributing to research on the Southern Residents."

"Of course not. We still have to be careful of humans, Charles," Magneto warned sternly. "You never know what they could be hiding." He raised his eyebrows.

"I know. Never forget what mutants could be hiding either," Charles pointed out and furrowed his brow.

Magneto chuckled. "Of course not. I will tell you this. Don't stop helping the Southern Residents. Choose another one to adopt. It can be anyone you want."

Charles smiled lightly. "I plan to do that when I get home."

Magneto looked out the window. He observed three young men walking past it. He shifted his attention back to Charles. He expressed a bit of regret.

"I hate to end our talk, but I have to go," Magneto announced, rising to his feet. He came to Charles's side. "I am a bit tired and need to get to bed."

"I understand," Charles answered and gazed up at him. "It was good to see you, old friend."

"The same goes for you, old friend," Magneto whispered and laid his hand on the professor's shoulder. "Have a safe trip home."

"You too," Charles commented, giving him a nod. "I hope we will meet again for another talk soon."

"As do I," Magneto agreed, a soft smile crossing his lips. "I do enjoy our talks." He laughed as he remembered all their talks throughout their friendship. "Goodbye."

Magneto walked out of the café. Charles watched him head down the sidewalk until he was gone. He turned back to his pictures. Though they were on opposite sides of the human-mutant conflict, he could take comfort in the fact that they were able to have calm discussions about different subjects. He was determined to cherish every peaceful moment he had with him. No matter how bad the fighting got, he was hopeful their friendship would never be broken.

THE END


End file.
